Royce by Kathi S. Barton

he wants to spend the night. She’s in no shape to have sex and maybe she’ll sleep better if he’s there.”
    Jay laughed. “Honey, you know as well as I do if they want to have sex, all the casts in the world aren’t going to stop them. But I won’t. And I’ll call you tomorrow.” He let the tears fall. Leah was his baby sister and he’d do anything in the world for her, but there wasn’t a damned thing he could do about this. He turned to finish up dinner as he thought about the couple in the other room.
    He’d worked for the Hunter Corporation since before his own Jean had died some twenty years ago. Their marriage hadn’t been a great one, not even a good one, but it had been fair. Jean had never cared for Suzy and she knew it. When Suzy had had some difficult days, Jean would lock her in the closet and leave her there. It wasn’t until he’d come home from work early to see it for himself that he’d forbidden her to do it again. After that, Jay had asked for help from the local church and Suzy would spend the day with some of the ladies there. She’d grown to love them.
    Then Leah had gotten sick after his Jean had died in an automobile accident in icy weather all those years before. Kasey had come home and held them all together. To this day he had no idea what she’d given up to come home to help and she wouldn’t tell him either. From Leah, all he’d gotten was that she was happier here.
    When dinner was ready he went back into the other room. He stood in the doorway and watched Royce with Suzy. When he noticed Jay standing there he nodded over to Kasey.
    “She’s hurting. Do you think she can have something now?” Jay knew it was bad when she didn’t argue. He handed the water and pain pills to Royce and took Suzy to the kitchen. He came in just as they were finishing up. “I’d like to stay tonight. She’s asleep now, but when she wakes I want to see if I can convince her to come back to the hospital with me.” Royce sat down. “Or bring her back to my house. I can hire someone to keep an eye on her. She won’t be happy, but I’ll know she’s fine.”
    “You love Kasey. She’s my favorite. I love her more than chocolate. You love her too.”
    Royce stared at Suzy, but made no comment. Jay didn’t either. The man simply looked pole axed, but about what Jay couldn’t say. He showed Royce where to take Kasey and let him settle her in her big bed. He just hoped they all weren’t making a mistake.

 
    Chapter 6
     
    Kasey woke warm. And stiff. It took her a few seconds to realize she wasn’t alone in her bed. When she put her hand on the arm around her waist, she realized it wasn’t her aunt. The arm was most assuredly male.
    “Do you need something else for pain?” the voice rumbled sleepily in her ear. “I’m not sure how often you can take them, but it’s been about five hours.”
    “Mr. Hunter?” She couldn’t move. She knew she should pull away from him, but she just couldn’t make her body work.
    “Kasey, I’m in bed with you. Don’t you think you should drop the Mr. Hunter bit and call me Royce? You did earlier tonight.” His breath was warm on the back of her neck. “And we have kissed.”
    “Why are—” Her train of thought stopped when he placed and open-mouthed kiss on the back of her neck. And then when his leg moved over her uninjured one, she moaned.
    “Why am I what?” His voice seemed to melt over her. She had to try and concentrate very hard on what she’d been thinking about before he’d kissed her.
    “Why are you in bed with me? Shouldn’t you be home, in your own bed, away from me?” She swallowed hard. “You need to back off.”
    “I’m in bed with you because you’re here.” He kissed her again before he continued. “And there is only one bed in this room. A nice bed too. I haven’t slept this well in…wow, it’s been months.”
    “I’ll give you the brand name. Get off my bed. And go home. Home is where you should be, not